Hoogeveen scales back extra police presence on Hoofdstraat
Mayor Martijn Breukelman says youth disorder on the Hoofdstraat has clearly decreased, so the stricter rules in Hoogeveen's centre are no longer needed.
The police are scaling back their extra presence on the Hoofdstraat in Hoogeveen. Mayor Martijn Breukelman said in a letter that youth disorder has clearly decreased. He decided after talks with the police and the Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie).
Why it matters
- The temporary bicycle ban, extra camera surveillance and stop and search will stay in force until 4 November, then end.
- The mayor says stricter rules in the centre are no longer needed.
Weeks earlier, young people on the Hoofdstraat raced around on fatbikes, set off fireworks and threw them at passers-by. Passers-by and business owners were intimidated. Several people were arrested and some received an area ban.
The mayor had designated the centre a high-risk zone (veiligheidsrisicogebied).
The municipality wants to carry out a thorough evaluation, including the period before the disorder. It will talk to youth workers and other organisations in contact with the young people, and examine its own approach.
What happens next
- 2 November: the mayor will give the municipal council a short look back at the police action and its effects.
- Spring 2027: the full evaluation is due.
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OM (Openbaar Ministerie)
The Public Prosecution Service, which decides whether suspects are prosecuted and brings criminal cases to court.
veiligheidsrisicogebied
A veiligheidsrisicogebied is an area that a Dutch mayor designates under the Wet veiligheidsrisicogebieden (Security Risk Areas Act) because of a serious risk of violence or disruption of public order. Within that area, police can carry out preventive searches of people for weapons or dangerous objects without a concrete suspicion against them. The designation is temporary and can only be made for a specific area and period.